Another kindi concert this morning and the kindi disco tonight and I've just whipped up a spectac picnic in the space of an hour... Phew. Then a party tomorrow and then we're clear until Christmas (apart from shopping, menu planning... oh you are all living it as well. I know this).

Wonderful Megan emailed me this today.  Made me laugh :)

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mum all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children

on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold

sixty-two cases of choc.bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the

school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over

several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red

crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and

who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any colour, except purple,

which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze;

but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the lolly aisle

in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month

of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint

resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television

that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a

refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can

hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, 'Yes,

Mummy'

to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and

three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of

power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting 'Don't eat in the

living room' and 'Take your hands off your brother,' because my voice

seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be

heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough

time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the

luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being

served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten

the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare tomato sauce

a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful

if you could coerce my children to help around the house without

demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime

family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet

under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a

safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in

and dry off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave

crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always, MUM...!